


Before the Dawn

by star_voyager



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot, T because of language, adora and catra are competitive, catra doesn't like waking up early but does so for her jock of a girlfriend, its fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21572191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_voyager/pseuds/star_voyager
Summary: Adora makes Catra go on a morning run with her, but their competitive nature takes over and before Catra knows it she's breaking a sweat before the sun is even up (and not in the way she likes to).
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Kudos: 170





	Before the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Just some Catradora fluff for y'all.
> 
> Catra and Adora are together and the war is over, but Adora still wants to be in fighting shape.

“Adora seriously, _fuck off_ ”

Catra turned away from her girlfriend and pulled the covers up over her head blocking out the light from the headlamp on Adora’s forehead.

“Come on Catra, we have to train if we are going to keep Etheria safe.” Adora straddled Catra over the covers and shook her to make sure she hasn’t fallen asleep again.

“ _Ugh…_ do you have to be so noble this early in the morning?” Adora gently lifted the covers from over Catra’s head, revealing a nest of hair. She slowly pushed the strands away revealing the other girl’s face.

“Come on you love it.”

Catra rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile at the blonde.

“Prove it.”

“I think that smile you’re forcing from happening is enough proof.”

Adora paused at the sound of snoring coming from below her.

“There is no way you feel asleep that quickly Catra….Catra?” She began to shake her again.

Catra opened her yellow eye and drew out one of her claws from her finger. Adora climbed off her.

“Ok fine, 15 more minutes. I’ll meet you outside.” She leaned down and kissed Catra’s forehead before jogging off.

* * *

30 minutes later Catra joined Adora on one of Bright Moon’s back paths. Adora smiled at the sight of her girlfriend

“Morning gorgeous,” Adora called out. Catra smiled and flipped her off.

“Why are you making me train anyway? You know that I’m faster than you.” Catra smirked.

“You…you are not!” Adora stammered flustered, “Plus you’ve been racing against _me_ all these years. You don’t stand a chance against She-ra.”

“Wanna bet?”

Adora raised an eyebrow before lowering both of them.

“You’re just trying to get out of waking up this early if you win.”

“ _When_ I win.”

“You are so on! For the honor of Grayskull!”

As Adora transformed into She-ra, Catra shielded her eyes from the light and hissed.

“Does your transformation _have_ to be this bright before the sun is even up?” Adora smiled and drew a line in the dirt with her sword before turning towards the former Force Captain.

“What do you say, first to go twice around?” Catra dug her claws into the dirt making two small mounds, she then rested her hands down in front of her, balancing her position. She looked up to meet Adora’s eyes.

“Your call princess.” Adora put one foot in front of the other and bent her knees down.

“On your mark, get set… is that a mouse?!”

“What where?!”

Catra jumped off the ground and frantically looked around her. Adora laughed.

“ _Every time…it’s too easy_. Go!”

Adora took off as Catra, still startled, looked after her.

“God dammit. Not again.”

* * *

For once, Catra was grateful at how cold Bright Moon could be in the morning. The cold air helped cool her burning lungs. The morning dew didn’t hurt either. _Am I actually enjoying working out before the sun rises?_ Catra pondered, _No. I’m enjoying beating Adora._

She hadn’t seen the warm glow of her girlfriend in her She-ra form since she crossed the first half of the first lap, now she was closing in on the finish line. Catra slid into the final turn, her right hand digging down into the hard dirt. Dust formed around her and Catra turned back for the first time in her second lap, partially because she wanted to avoid the dust getting into her eyes and partially to see if she could spot Adora.

The hybrid narrowed her eyes trying to focus on anything out of the ordinary in the darkness. With her night vision she spotted a faint glow coming from right above the treeline. _Is she really using Swift Wind right now?!_ Using her left hand as a counter balance, Catra finished the turn and gave the last bit of energy she had to making sure her hand crossed the finish line before Swift Wind’s hoof.

The relief of the cold air was gone now that her breathing had quickened. Her sight narrowed in on what remained of the line Adora drew a mere hour before. _Stupid talking horse and all, I am going to win so help me…_ Catra’s right hand reached and crossed the smudged line as she tucked into a roll to stop her momentum. Sliding onto her back, she gasped for air in between laughs. “Yes!” she exclaimed. Not only did she prove to Adora once and all that she _was_ the faster one of the two, but she did it while the other was on a _flying fucking horse_.

Catra looked at the morning sky, now a navy colored sheet covered in the stars and planets that surrounded them. Just as she was about to daydream about the countless adventures her and Adora would have if her girlfriend would just think about anything other than Etheria for a moment, the all too familiar glow of her beloved caught the corner of her eye. Resting on her elbows Catra returned to reality as Adora made her way towards the finish line.

Once Adora had crossed, she transformed back into her natural form and laid down next to her partner copying the heavy breathing Catra had done minutes before. She looked over at the other girl, now sporting a scowl. Taken aback, Adora moved to a seated position, resting her elbows on her knees.

“What?”

“Oh don’t act so innocent Adora, you know exactly what you did.”

“I promise you I don’t,” Adora raised her right hand in an attempt to prove her innocence.

“So you’re telling me you _didn’t_ use your ‘noble steed’ in a last ditch effort to beat me?”

“Do you really think Swift Wind would be involved in something so sneaky? You do remember their attempt to sneak around the Fright Zone which resulted in 50 Horde soldiers descending on our location within minutes don’t you?”

Catra laughed.

“How could I forget? Ok well then how do you explain why I saw a floating light when making the final turn?”

“Catra that's the Moonstone,” Adora pointed at the faint glow and a tip of the runestone peaked out from over the trees.

“Well regardless if you cheated or not, _I_ at least won fair and square.”

“So you did. I take it that means no more before dawn runs for you then?”

“Not against my will, but I _could_ be talked into participating in one of your early morning workouts once a month on one condition.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” A small part of Adora tensed at what the response would be.

“No more racing against each other. I’d much rather run alongside you.”

“When did you become such a sap?” Adora beamed, as Catra rolled her eyes.

“Shut up. I just don’t want my lungs burning before daylight.”

Adora nodded, not believing a word of what Catra had said. She stood up and extended her hand.

“Can I show you why I like running this early?”

Catra took Adora’s hand, the other’s muscles easily lifted Catra to her feet.

“Sure.”

The two walked hand and hand into the brush, Adora’s sword lighting the path in front of them.

* * *

5 minutes later Adora morphed the weapon back into her wristlet as the brush turned into a clearing in front of them. Adora’s eyes lit up, “Oh good! We’re just in time!”

Adora turned her and Catra’s pace into a slight jog until they reached the highest point of the clearing. The nearing sunrise peaked out over a mountain in the distance. Adora pulled Catra down into the grass and the two sat side by side in silence as the sun started to light up more of the sky.

Catra leaned her head into Adora’s shoulder, nuzzling her as she looked into the distance. Adora began to stroke her hair and Catra let out a small purr.

“Did you just purr?”

“Shut up you’re ruining it.”

 _Maybe rising before the sun has its perks_ Catra thought to herself. The two girls looks on as the beauty of Bright Moon was slowly revealed in the rising light.


End file.
